This site is part of a set of detailed cultural, political, and historical summaries created by the Library's Federal Research Service. The emphasis is on less commonly studied nations, and the material will be challenging for some students.

In the Classroom

Teachers will find these summaries useful for their comprehensive scope, which frequently includes historical and cultural background information. Much of the content is 5 or more years old, so these pages are best used for historical or background information.

This site is part of a set of detailed cultural, political, and historical summaries created by the Library's Federal Research Service. The emphasis is on less commonly studied nations, and the material will be challenging for some students.

In the Classroom

Teachers will find these summaries useful for their comprehensive scope, which frequently includes historical and cultural background information. Much of the content is 5 or more years old, so these pages are best used for historical or background information.

This site is part of a set of detailed cultural, political, and historical summaries created by the Library's Federal Research Service. The emphasis is on less commonly studied nations, and the material will be challenging for some students.

In the Classroom

Teachers will find these summaries useful for their comprehensive scope, which frequently includes historical and cultural background information. Much of the content is 5 or more years old, so these pages are best used for historical or background information.

This site is part of a set of detailed cultural, political, and historical summaries created by the Library's Federal Research Service. The emphasis is on less commonly studied nations, and the material will be challenging for some students.

In the Classroom

Teachers will find these summaries useful for their comprehensive scope, which frequently includes historical and cultural background information. Much of the content is 5 or more years old, so these pages are best used for historical or background information.

This site is part of a set of detailed cultural, political, and historical summaries created by the Library's Federal Research Service. The emphasis is on less commonly studied nations, and the material will be challenging for some students.

In the Classroom

Teachers will find these summaries useful for their comprehensive scope, which frequently includes historical and cultural background information. Much of the content is 5 or more years old, so these pages are best used for historical or background information.

This site is part of a set of detailed cultural, political, and historical summaries created by the Library's Federal Research Service. The emphasis is on less commonly studied nations, and the material will be challenging for some students.

In the Classroom

Teachers will find these summaries useful for their comprehensive scope, which frequently includes historical and cultural background information. Much of the content is 5 or more years old, so these pages are best used for historical or background information.

This site is part of a set of detailed cultural, political, and historical summaries created by the Library's Federal Research Service. The emphasis is on less commonly studied nations, and the material will be challenging for some students.

In the Classroom

Teachers will find these summaries useful for their comprehensive scope, which frequently includes historical and cultural background information. Much of the content is 5 or more years old, so these pages are best used for historical or background information.

This site is part of a set of detailed cultural, political, and historical summaries created by the Library's Federal Research Service. The emphasis is on less commonly studied nations, and the material will be challenging for some students.

In the Classroom

Teachers will find these summaries useful for their comprehensive scope, which frequently includes historical and cultural background information. Much of the content is 5 or more years old, so these pages are best used for historical or background information.

This site is part of a set of detailed cultural, political, and historical summaries created by the Library's Federal Research Service. The emphasis is on less commonly studied nations, and the material will be challenging for some students.

In the Classroom

Teachers will find these summaries useful for their comprehensive scope, which frequently includes historical and cultural background information. Much of the content is 5 or more years old, so these pages are best used for historical or background information.

This site is part of a set of detailed cultural, political, and historical summaries created by the Library's Federal Research Service. The emphasis is on less commonly studied nations, and the material will be challenging for some students.

In the Classroom

Teachers will find these summaries useful for their comprehensive scope, which frequently includes historical and cultural background information. Much of the content is 5 or more years old, so these pages are best used for historical or background information.

This site is part of a set of detailed cultural, political, and historical summaries created by the Library's Federal Research Service. The emphasis is on less commonly studied nations, and the material will be challenging for some students.

In the Classroom

Teachers will find these summaries useful for their comprehensive scope, which frequently includes historical and cultural background information. Much of the content is 5 or more years old, so these pages are best used for historical or background information.

This site, based on an exhibit from the American Holocaust Museum, uses the 1936 games as a starting point for a visual synopsis of the evolution of the Nazi regime, with a particular focus on its racial and ethnic policies. The result is a succinct, though stark, introduction that should be useful for many students. The site features an online exhibition with video clips, pictures, and articles of interest.

In the Classroom

Use this site to spark a discussion and study of the role of the Olympics in politics and foreign policy (especially during an Olympic year as an extension of your study of current events). You may want to share some of the video clips on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Why not have a class debate about the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

This BBC site presents an elegant retracing of the history of the Balkans and their ethnic divisions. While it concentrates on the present, the information includes timelines going back hundreds of years which show the origins of many present-day conflicts. Good resource for teachers or students working individually or in groups.

In the Classroom

Use this site as a learning center or station during a unit on WWII and how borders and political boundaries were changed in the aftermath. This activity will work best if students have a graphic organizer to follow with, we recommend Graphic Organizer Maker, (reviewed here).

This site offers a collection of cultural, government, and economic information and resources about the Ukraine. It includes information on the roles of women, as well as a historical chronology of the nation.

In the Classroom

Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Have students compare and contrast the stories they find about the Ukraine and what's predominantly showcased in American newspapers. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here). This would be a great activity during a unit on post-cold war politics, and how the old USSR states have since changed.

This on-line treatment from the BBC offers lots of depth, particularly in its treatment of early and medieval Scotland. It's not turf that's found in the typical American curriculum, but this site might appeal to students interested in a world cultures report with a different twist. The site could also be useful as background for study of English literature.

In the Classroom

Use this site as a learning center or station during a unit on Scottish History or specifically a lesson on Mary Queen of Scots, or the Reformation. Be sure to save the section you want to use as a favorite on classroom computers to ensure easy access for students & to help keep them on task. This learning center would work best with a graphic organizer. To help make one for your class, we recommend Graphic Organizer Maker, (reviewed here).

This elegant site - part of a college-level world culture series - presents the Italian Renaissance and discusses the social, political, and economic trends which contributed to the flowering of renaissance art and culture. Excellent, dense content would be suitable for advanced high school research, or as background reading for teachers working with this subject. From Washington State University.

This site from the BBC presents a distinctly European remembrance of World War I. There are links to first-hand accounts, as well as to some of the literature written during the war. It's an appropriate way to show how deeply Europe suffered from the events of that war.

In the Classroom

The most powerful elements of this site are the "images and newsreel" and "archive radio interviews" section. Open the site on the Interactive whiteboard or projector and play the segments for the class. The sound clips and images help exhibit the tremendous strain the Great War put on Europe, and pushes students to understand the events beyond the textbook.

This is the official site of the British Prime Minister, offering current news, the histories of famous prime ministers, and background information on political issues in the United Kingdom. Lots of flash and design; a good site to include in researching British government.

In the Classroom

Use this site on the interactive whiteboard or projector to introduce a unit on British History. Use the biographies of the prime ministers in your classroom to help discuss and discover important politicians of the time period being studied. Students could use the site to identify important political leaders during the American Revolution or WWI for example.

Fordham University has created this outline of European history since about 1500, complete with links to quotable (no copyright) primary documents from various periods. It's an easy to use research resource for term papers or other assignments, and also a simple way to bring historical documents into the classroom.

In the Classroom

Use this site to obtain primary sources that can supplement classroom lectures. This site runs the gammit for World History II courses, so save it as a favorite on your classroom computer to reference it for new materials. One way to combine learning the content with learning how to interpret primary sources is to pair students in groups, with each assigned a different primary source. Have students analyze the source with the intentions of presenting it to the class. Once every group has presented their source, the class will vote "survivor style" which source is the most reliable. You would be surprised how much students get into it!

This Shockwave enhanced site from the BBC's education section provides a very concise walk through modern European history (1918 forward). The text - and it's mostly text - is presented in easily-digested segments, and there are supporting maps and other documentation where necessary. The site is particularly useful for its willingness to examine not just what happened, but why it happened. On-line quizzes make the site useful for self-study.

In the Classroom

Use this site as a way to review students before assessments. There are lots of short quizzes on a variety of subjects that can be either printed or shared on the interactive whiteboard or projector. One way to use them is to have students complete the quizzes for warmups as they come into class. If used in that way, they can also be used as activators to introduce a new unit. This way teachers can assess what knowledge the students already have and which areas need to be covered the most.